Lubricator for locomotive driving journals



Sept. 25 1923.

A. T. KUEHNER LUBRICATOR FOR LOCOMOTIVE DRIVING JOURNALS Filed Jan. 14, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 se t. 25, 1923.

A. T; KUEHNER LUBRICATOR FOR LOCOMQTIVE DRIVING JOURNALS Fil ed Jan. 14 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patent Sept, 25, 1923.

ARTHUR T. KUEHNER, OI ELKRIDGE, MARYL.

LUBRICATOR FOB LOCOMOTIVE DRIVING JOURNALS.

Application filed January 14, 1920. Serial No. 351,342.

T 0 all whom it my concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR T. KUEHNER,

citizen of the United States, residing at Elkridge, in the county of Howard and State of Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Lubricators for Locomotive Driving Journals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved lubricator for locomotive driving axles, being particularly designed for use in con nection with locomotive driving boxes of the t pe shown in my pending application filed hovember 20, 1919, Serial No. 339,347. The invention has as one of its principal objects to provide a device wherein the grease cellar employed will be loosely fitted between the legs of the driving box and wherein the cellar may be bodily removed so that it may be conveniently refilled.

The device has as a further object to provide a construction wherein the cellar will, at its outer end, be equipped with a hub bearing forming a continuation of the hub bearing of the face plate of the box so that a practically continuous bearing surface will be presented to the wheel hub, this construction providing an arrangement whereby the objectionable scraping of grease from I the hub face by the edges of the legs of the box will be eliminated.

A further object of the invention in this connection is to provide a device wherein the cellar will coact with the box in resisting end thrust.

, And the invention has as a still further object to provide a device wherein the cellar will be supported by a shelf and wherein said shelf will provide a tie plate rigidly connecting the legs of the box for resisting the excessive horizontal thrust of the drive axle upon the legs as well as resisting relative movement of the legs under expansion or contraction of the box so that sticking of the box wedge with resultant derailment will be avoided.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation looking at the outer side of a driving box of the type shown in my pending application referred to and illustrating the improved lubricator in position on thebox, parts being broken away and shown in section,

Figure 2 is a perspective the cellar of the device and in detail,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view takenthrough the 'box and lubricator,

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the cellar removed, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the cellar partly removed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I have shown my improved lubricator in connection with a locomotive View showing follower plate driving box of the type illustrated in my pending application previously identified and in order to bring out the special features of the present invention, the driving box will be described somewhat in detail.

I have shown the driving box in connection with a drive axle 10 which carries at its adjacent end a drive wheel 11. The box includes a box body 12 recessed to receive the drive axle through the lower end thereof, and mounted in the arch of said recess is a crown brass 13. Projecting from the outer side of the box body is an arcuate flange 14 I and embracing this flange to seat flat against the outer side of the box body is a face plate 15. The legs of the box body carry, at the inner side of the box body, dependinglugs 16 and at the outer side of the box body dependin lugs 17, the lugs 17 being, however, not so t ick as the lugs 16. Extending freely through the" box body adjacent its upper corners are bolts 18 upon the inner ends of which arethreaded nuts 19. At the outer ends of the bolts are flat heads 20 nor mally coacting with the face plate for securing the upper end portion of the face plate to the box body. The face plate will thus be rigidly held against the outer side of the box body. The face plate is provided. as particularly shown in Figure 1,, with recesses 21 in which the bolt heads are freely rotatable and entering these recesses are suitable slots through which the bolt shanks project. Consequently, by turning the bolt heads to the position shown in Figure 1, the bolts may be retracted upon the box body to withdraw the heads thereof into recesses 22 in the outer side of the box body. This done, the face plate may then be-lifted up vertically and removed when the box body may be shifted inwardly along the drive axle and also removed. At its outer side, the faceplate is equipped with an arcuate hub bearing 23 engaged in a suitable channel in the plate and, as will be observed, said bearing overlies the major portion of the area of the plate at its outer side to con tact the hub of the drive wheel 11.

Comin now more particularly to the subject of t e present invention, I employ ashelf 24; which snugly fits between the lugs 16 and 17 of the box body 12 and face plate 15 and is provided at its corners with depending lugs 25 mating with the first lugs mentioned. Extending through the pair of lugs 16 at the inner side of the box body and through-the innermost of the lugs 25 of the shelf is a rod 26 carrying at each. end thereof superposed nuts 27. Fitted through the lugs 17 of the face plate from the outer sides thereof are cap bolts 28 which engage throu h the outermost of the lugs 25 of the shel and, at their inner ends, each carry superposed nuts 29. The heads of the bolts 28 are, as particularly shown in Figure 1, countersunk in the lugs 17 of the box body so that the box body may be removed in the manner previously indicated. As will be seen, the rod 26 and bolts 28 will rigidly connect the shelf with the legs of the box body so that the shelf will thus form a tie plate for the legs acting to rigidly hold the legs against movement toward or away from each other under contraction or expansion as well as against spreading and return movement or breathing as it is commonly termed such as is commonly set up by the horizontal thrust of the drive axle. Sticking of the box wedge will thus be pre vented and, as is well known, sticking of the driving box wedges of a locomotive very often results in derailment. Further, in any instance where the legs ofthe driving box are not joined such as in the conventional driving box, the terrifiic horizontal thrust of the axle results in racking the box and associated parts. In rigidly joining the legs of the box by means of the tie plate, this racking is minimized.

Freely fitting between the legs of the box is a cellar 30 resting upon the shelf 24: to be supported in position thereby. The end walls of the cellar are, of course, cut away to receive the journal of the drive axle and projecting laterally from the inner end wall of the cellar are pairs of lugs 31 overhanging the legs of the box body at the inner side thereof. These lugs freely receive stud bolts 32 therethrough which serve to rigidly secure the cellar in place, the stud bolts being embedded in thelegs of the box body. The, outer end wall of the cellar body is, as particularly shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, provided with an arcuate channel substantially dove-tail in cross section and engaged in this channel is a hub bearing 33 overlying the major portion of the area of said end wall of the cellar and disposed i,eee,eoe I flush with the hub bearing 23 of the face plate 15 of the box to confront the hub of the drive wheel. The bearing 33 will thus form a continuation of the bearing 23 so that a practically continuous bearing surface will be provided for the wheel hub at the outer side of the box. Thus, the outer confronting corner edges of the legs of the face plate will be prevented from scraping I the grease from the wheel hub, the bearing 33 being disposed to hold the grease to the Wheel. Furthermore, in thus employing the hub bearing upon the cellar a materially increased bearing surface is, as compared with driving boxes of conventional type, provided for sustaining end thrust of the drive axle. Freely movable vertically within the cellar is a follower 34: in the nature of an oblong late and bearing between this plate and the shelf 24 is a volute spring35 carried by the plate and freely received through an opening 36 in the bottom wall of the cellar. The cellar is, of course, designed to receive a grease cake as conventionally illus trated at37, so that, as will be seen, the spring 35 will normally act to advance the follower for holdin the grease cake against the journal of the rive axle. In order that the condition of the rease cake may be readily ascertained, the inner end wall of the cellar is provided with a sight window 38.

As will now be readily appreciated in view of the preceding description, the face plate 15' may be released from the box body and removed, when the box body with the lubricator attached may be removed as a unit from the box frame.- On the'other hand, by simply removing the nuts of the stud bolts 32, the cellar may, without molesting the box body or face plate, be readily displaced, it being necessary simply to slide the box inwardly beneath the drive axle upon the shelf 24- until the cellar is freed. The cellar maythusbe readily dismounted so that it may be conveniently filled. In replacing the cellar, the outer end portion thereof is first rested upon the shelf when the cellar is moved outwardly until the spring 35- strikes the inner ed e of the shelf. The spring is then compressed, as suggested in Figure 5, so as to rest at its lower end upon the shelf when the outward movement of the cellar into position may be completed.

Having thus described the invention. what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a journal box including a face plate provided. with a wear resisting hub bearing, of a lubricant cellar fitting between the legs of the box and provided with a wear resisting hub bearing forming a continuation of the first bearing.

2. The combination with a journal box including a face plate having legs and pro-= vided with a hub bearing, of a lubricant cellar carried by the box to extend between naeaeoe the box body whereby the face plate may be.

removed to permit inward removal of the box body, of a lubricant cellar mounted between the legs of the box body and bodily removable therewith.

4. The combination with a journal box including a box body, and a face plate detachably connected thereto whereby the face plate may be displaced to permit inward removal of the box body, of a shelf extending between and secured to the legs of the box body, and a lubricant cellar supported by said shelf, the box body, shelf and cellar being removable as a unit.

5. In a journal box, a box body, a shelf disposed between the legs of the box body, a cellar supported by said shelf, and grease feeding means within the cellar coacting with the shelf.

6. In a journal box, a box body, a shelf disposed between the legs of the box body, a cellar supported by said shelf having an opening in the bottom wall thereof, and grease feeding means within the cellar having means extending through said opening to coact with the shell.

7. in a journal box, a box body, a shelf disposed between the legs of the box body, a cellar supported by said shelf having an opening in the bottom wall thereof, a follower plate within the cellar, and a spring extending through said opening to coact between said plate and the shelf.

8. In a journal box, the combination with a box body, and a face plate detachably secured thereto whereby the body may be shifted inwardly, of means rigidly securing the legs against relative movement and comprising a shelf extending between the legs rigidly spacing the legs apart.

9. In a journal box, the combination with a box body, and a face plate detachably secured thereto whereby the body may be shifted inwardly, of means rigidly securing the legs against relative movement and com prising a shelf extending between the legs rigidly spacing the legs apart, and a lubricant cellar supported by said shelf.

10. In a journal box, a lubricant cellar provided at its outer end with a wear resistin hub bearing.

11. he combination with a journal box including a box body, and a face plate detachably connected thereto whereby the face plate may be displaced to permit inward removal of the box body, of a shelf secured between the legs of the box body, and .a lubricant cellar supported by said shelf, the shelf being removable with the box body.

12. In a journal box, the combination with a box body, and a face plate detachably secured thereto whereby the box body may be shifted inwardly, of a shelf lying between the legs of the body rigidly spacing the legs apart, and means adjustable for clamping the legs against the shelf whereby to prevent spreading of the legs.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ARTHUR T. KUEHNER. {n s] 

